I never assign work I’m not willing to do; so, I too completed the assignment. My results were alarming as well. Satan is alive and real, for sure, but Holy Spirit’s Scriptures taught us why and how.
A CALM Approach
(C) 2013 D. Thomas Porter
Biblical apologetics calls for calm—comprehend, appreciate, love, and master the enemies of Christ by containing, controlling, and combating their influence, latitude, and lethality. But it is hard to appreciate Satan, much less love him. He is the enemy after all.
Nonetheless, the Scriptures reveal much about Satan I appreciate—he believes in Christ, definitively more than any human. And, he wants what he wants. He wants the credit for what he’s done, and other good stuff too. He doesn’t like being number 2.
Yep, Satan is alive and well. In me. I too believe in Christ, not as much as Satan, but I too want credit and appreciation. I hate being ignored, and number two? I love being in charge. And so, the Devil crawls around in my mind, seeking what he might devour (1 Peter 5:8). Like most humans, I love the idea of Jesus the Christ being my savior, but as my Lord, my boss, my master, my CEO, my owner, my sovereign? Wait a minute, I am an American—no one is my boss; I am the captain of my destiny. Not. All of us have that in common. But …
Thank you Holy Spirit for convicting me of the horror of evil personified, and evil incarnate—Satan (accuser), Beelzebub (lord of flies), Belial (wicked), Dragon, Devil, Serpent, Tempter—none of your names comfort me. Perhaps you should change your name to ἀντιχρίστου. But Holy Spirit warned me about that name as well (1 John 4:3). Christ and I are ready for you—bring it on.
Don’t forget, Satan once accused the Lord God of blasphemy: “Of course believers love You,” he claimed, “You’re always blessing them with Your presence.” The Lord God Jehovah smiled and said, “Do your worst, bring it on. Believers in Me worship Me, and Me alone.” And so the story of Job played out, ending with that glorious statement:
Oh, that my words were on a scroll, inscribed in granite forever! I know my Redeemer lives. In the end, even with my body destroyed, I will see God, with my own eyes. Oh, how my heart yearns for that day.
My heart yearns as well—come quickly my Lord Jesus.
Given Porter’s First Law, “When confronting our beliefs, we must raise an epistemological red flag whenever said belief is useful. When things are useful, all historical, empirical, and experiential data which contraindicate our belief must be brought to bear. Otherwise—we’re not thinkers as God intended, merely narcissistic lumps.”